


Restoring Christmas

by Aintfraidanoghosts



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Christmas, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Family, Fluff, Inspired by Hallmark Christmas Movies, Older Man/Younger Woman
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-02
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:00:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 20,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27840403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aintfraidanoghosts/pseuds/Aintfraidanoghosts
Summary: Rose Tyler learns that she’s the beneficiary to her great-uncle’s estate in a little town called Christmas, and she decides to stay long enough to get the manor home ready to sell. Can she help the dour town mechanic find his Christmas spirit in the short time they have together?
Relationships: Ninth Doctor/Rose Tyler
Comments: 47
Kudos: 124





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> MANY MANY THANKS TO SO MANY PEOPLE FOR ENCOURAGING THIS SILLY BIT OF CHRISTMAS FLUFF INTO FRUITION! As always, TenRoseForeverandEver is an absolute beta genius. Rose_Nebula is the best, most adorable cheerleader who always give the best boosts of serotonin whether I need them or not! MrsBertucci is the title QUEEN and her willingness to help where I am lacking is ENDLESS! HiddenTreasures keeps me going with constant encouragement and unnecessary (but welcome 😁) ego boosts, and SelenaTerna shares my undying love of Nine and is always kind enough to loan me her brain to get his voice JUST RIGHT! And last but CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, this would not have come about without all of the fangirls that help keep me going on the daily! You all are an INCREDIBLE support system and I am the luckiest gal in the world to have you in my life!
> 
> Happy Holidays!

Rose Tyler had loved Christmas ever since she was old enough to understand it. Her mum, despite being a single mother on the Powell Estate, had always done everything she could to make the season special, from movie marathons to special crafts that were always prominently displayed. Rose may have never gone to school with the latest trainers or new jewelry like some of the other kids, but her mum had always managed to get her a few small, but meaningful, gifts that she loved no matter what.

There was just something in the air at Christmas time that made Rose smile. Her heart would swell as soon as the first Christmas songs played on the radio. She would audibly squeal when she arrived at her work to see Christmas displays in the windows. She wore a Father Christmas hat all season long and even the most disgruntled of customers could never squash her Christmas spirit.

This year was different. This was her first Christmas without her mum.

Jackie Tyler, the steadfast powerhouse of a woman, had passed away half a year earlier at only 40 years old. Rose, who was just shy of turning 20, was left alone in their flat with just her memories to get her through. The first few months after Jackie’s death, Rose had felt like she was on autopilot, living her life of work, telly, and beans on toast. It was like a perpetual fog had settled, everything was tinged grey and dreary and nothing felt the same as it used to.

Her best mate, Mickey, was always there. Jackie had practically raised him alongside his grandmother, and he was nearly as devastated as Rose when Jackie had succumbed to the cancer that had given her no symptoms until it was already too late. It was quick, but relatively painless, and Rose was somewhat grateful that her mum hadn’t had to suffer.

Rose was never certain she believed in an afterlife or any other sort of religious themes, but nevertheless, she liked to think that her parents were finally together again.

Still, as she walked into Henrick’s in late November, just over five weeks before Christmas, she couldn’t stop the little flutter of happiness in her chest at the sight of garlands and lights decorating the entrance. The tree in the middle of the entryway made her smile genuinely for the first time in months.

Christmas was coming. And she would make it fantastic. For her mum.

*******

Rose was on her lunch break, scrolling through her various social media accounts when her mobile rang with a number she didn’t recognize. It startled her. Most of her friends and cousins simply texted on the rare occasion that they wanted to talk and her aunts barely ever called since her mother’s death. She would normally let such numbers go to voicemail, but curiosity got the better of her and she swiped the call open before she changed her mind.

“Hello?”

“Good day,” a friendly female voice replied. “May I speak to Rose Tyler?”

“Yes, this is she. Who’s this?”

“Oh, brilliant! Miss Tyler, this is Donna Noble. I’m the estate agent for your great uncle, Mr. William Tyler.”

“What? I have a great uncle?” Rose asked, switching the phone to the other ear as if that could make her understand the woman a bit better.

“Yes, and I’m sorry to be the one to tell you, but he passed away several months ago. My condolences, Miss Tyler. I knew him, he was a sweetheart.”

“Please, call me Rose. And thank you, I never even knew he existed. My dad died when I was a baby. I didn’t really get to know his family.”

“Well, you’re listed as his next of kin. He never had his own children, and his younger sister only had your father. Therefore, you’re the benefactor of his estate.”

Rose startled a bit. “An… an estate?”

“Yes, it’s just a little ways north from Oxfordshire, in a tiny town called Christmas.” Rose couldn’t help but smile at the name of the town. “I live here, in fact, and it’s just lovely at this time of year. Which brings me to my next point,” Donna continued. “Unfortunately, it took us quite some time to track you down. Mr. Tyler didn’t keep very… erm… _organized_ records. If you’re planning to accept the inheritance we are going to need you up here to sign the papers in the next few days or the estate automatically becomes property of the town, to dispose of at their discretion.”

“The next few _days_?” Rose responded. “But… I work in a shop and we’re sort of just starting the Christmas season. I can’t ask for time off right now. Can’t we do this electronically?”

“Unfortunately, the will stipulates that you must be here to collect the keys. And really, it will be much easier to explain it all in person.”

Rose sighed. She’d just have to tell her (somewhat unpleasant) manager that she needed to take a few days off to deal with a family emergency out of town. After all, this estate meant she had another connection to her dad, to a family she didn’t know. Even if it was disorganized, she could probably find old photos and records and learn about her late father’s extended family.

In a time when she was feeling particularly alone in the world, a connection to family… a _history_ , was certainly appealing.

“Thanks, Ms. Noble, I appreciate you getting in touch. I’ll arrange for the time off and be up sometime soon. Is the number you called from a good one to use?”

“Yes, this is my mobile. You can call or text me anytime! I’m so happy to hear that you’re coming Rose. It’s such a lovely house, it would be a shame to see it demolished to make room for a new shopping center. Although, you might convince me if they included a Starbucks…”

Rose laughed. “We’re going to get along just fine, Ms. Noble. I’ll let you know when I have the travel arrangements made.”

“Brilliant, I look forward to it! We’ll talk soon!”

Rose rang off, noticing that she was near the end of her break. She polished off the rest of her chips and tossed the container in the bin before pocketing her mobile and heading over to the back office. Her manager, Mr. Van Statten as he demanded to be called, was sitting behind his desk, scrolling through his mobile, as a conference call played through the speakerphone. 

“Rose,” he greeted with a slimy grin. Rose internally groaned. She’d never been a fan of his, but she could deal with his obnoxious tendencies if it meant not having to work at the butcher. “All done your break?”

“Yeah, but I got a phone call. I have to go out of town. I have a little family thing I have to take care of and I’m going to have to take the next couple of days off.”

“Absolutely not!” Mr. Van Statten said, turning back to his phone and waving his hand, dismissing her. “Now go back and relieve Heidi, I need her to go on her break on time so I can leave.”

“But sir, I _have_ to go,” she told him. “It’s something to do with my great uncle, and I’m the _only_ one…”

“We just put up the holiday decorations, Rose. People are going to be flocking in to start their shopping this weekend. I can’t afford to have someone out.”

Rose felt her face growing hot, her temper rising. “Why, because that means you’ll have to do some actual work for once?”

His head snapped to her, his eyes narrowed. “Now I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that, because you _know_ how I feel about you girls getting snippy with me.”

“Well maybe we should get snippy a little more often!” Rose couldn’t contain the words. She was seeing red. “That way you’d know what a pompous, egotistical, self-important _arsehole_ you are! It’s only _two days_!”

Van Statten stood, barely clearing Rose’s height but still attempting to look menacing. “Now, you listen to me. I won’t have some chavvy little girl like you speak to me in that manner. I am _Henry Van Statten_! I am your department manager and what I say goes. You will not be getting any time off and that’s final!”

Rose stood there, seething. She barely had a chance to contemplate her next move before the words came tumbling out of her mouth. 

“Fine,” she said. “I quit.”

******

“You just _quit_?”

Rose looked over at her oldest friend, the contents of several cardboard boxes spilled between them as they sorted carefully through the detritus. Mickey had taken to helping her decide which belongings of her mother’s she was going to donate to charity and which she wanted to keep. She had found, at first, that she was having a hard time letting go of anything, but Mickey had been able to help her look more objectively and realize she didn’t need to keep a utility bill from 1997, but she might want to save room for Jackie’s beloved Il Divo records. 

“Yeah, I quit,” she replied. “He was being a selfish arsehole. All I needed was two days and he wouldn’t let me. Plus you should’ve heard the things he said to me. He’s lucky all I did was quit.”

“Yeah, but what are you gonna do now? What about the rent? The bills?”

“I’ve got enough left from mum’s death benefits to float me a couple of months. And who knows, maybe this family estate will have some money with it.”

“And how do you even know there _is_ an estate, Rose?” Mickey told her as he tossed an old envelope of photographs into the “keep” pile. “I mean, a town called _Christmas_? Sounds totally made up, like some kinda cheesy made-for-telly holiday special. Plus, I’ve heard about these scams, yeah, they pretend like you’ve got inheritance money waiting for you and then they take all your money in ‘fees’ and leave you broke.”

Rose laughed. “You’re barmy, Mickey. I looked up Donna Noble, she’s a real estate agent. Licensed and everything.”

“Was the website legitimate?”

Rose gave Mickey a playful shove. “Listen, Micks, I love that you’re worried about me. But I’m _fine_. I’m meeting Donna at the house tomorrow to sign the papers and get the keys. Then I’ll decide what to do with it.”

“Do you think you’ll keep it?”

Mickey glanced up from the file folder in his hand and met her gaze. Rose’s heart swelled with affection. He was worried that she’d move away from the Estate to live in the tiny town called Christmas. The idea was tempting, having a whole big house that she could make her own, but realistically, how was she supposed to maintain it? She didn’t even have her A-levels and she was barely 20. What sort of job could she get in a small town that would allow her to live in a big, old house?

“I dunno, probably not. I don’t know anything about taking care of a house, and it’s not like I could afford to hire anyone to help.”

Mickey gave her a little smile, seemingly satisfied with her response, before turning back to the random pieces of Jackie Tyler’s life that were spread out in front of them. They took turns sharing stories of memories that the items elicited. It took a few hours to really sort through what they were keeping and what they were getting rid of, so Mickey didn’t leave for his own flat until late in the evening. When Rose finally climbed into bed and started drifting off to sleep, an emotion that she hadn’t felt in a very long time bubbled up to the surface, so long, in fact, that she had trouble identifying it at first.

_Excitement._

******

Rose had made arrangements for an afternoon train to Oxfordshire where she would hop a smaller connecting train to Christmas. She spent the morning packing up as many jumpers and hoodies as she could fit into her duffel bag, sipping on her tea, and listening to a Christmas music station on the radio. Mickey arrived just as she was finishing up and drove her to the station, leaving her with a hug and a kiss on the cheek and the request that she call when she had arrived safely. 

The train rides weren’t terribly long, Rose listening to music through her earphones the entire time as she envisioned what could be awaiting her. A town called Christmas had to be terribly quaint. Her mind’s eye conjured up images of snow-trimmed cottages and a little town square complete with gazebo and maypole. She imagined townsfolk bustling about as snow fell, bundled against the cold in their hats, scarves, and bulky coats as they went about their Christmas errands. The image warmed her more than she expected it to. She was a Londoner, through and through, but that didn’t stop her from seeing the appeal of small towns.

The announcement for Christmas came over the loudspeaker, breaking Rose out of her thoughts. She set about gathering up her belongings, pulling her large duffel down from the overhead storage as the train slowed to a stop. She was one of only a few people disembarking, so it didn’t take long for her to step out onto the wooden platform of a train station that seemed to have been transported right from the Victorian Era and deposited directly in the middle of this small town.

Before Rose could take in the rest of her surroundings, she heard someone call her name. She turned and saw a lovely, red-headed woman approaching her with a friendly smile and enthusiastic wave.

“Hi there, Miss Tyler!” the woman said when they finally met. She extended her hand and Rose took it. “Donna Noble. Welcome to Christmas!”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MAJOR beta props to TenRoseForeverandEver and major sounding board props to Rose_Nebula and HiddenTreasures for their endless patience and encouragements! And SelenaTerna is basically Nine in the form of a gorgeous, brilliant human and he would not sound nearly as perfect as he does without her input!
> 
> I’m hoping to update 1-2 times a week. As it gets closer to the holiday I’ll be working more but I have a tiny bit of a chapter buffer. Plus 2/3 (or 4) smut scenes are done because I have no self-control!
> 
> Thank you all for the wonderful reviews and kudos! I hope you all enjoy seeing some familiar names and faces pop up...😁

“It’s gorgeous here,” Rose said as she watched the scenery go by. They were driving in Donna’s cute little sedan and headed towards Rose’s great-uncle’s estate. They had maneuvered through a darling town square, surrounded by shops and little cafes and, yes, a perfect little gazebo right in the center of town. Once they had turned off the road, the quaint little houses became more and more spaced apart and soon all she saw were rolling hills and thickets of bare trees. “Like something out of a fairy tale.”

“Thank you,” Donna preened. “We were voted the happiest town in the UK three years running, you know. Our population is only a little over a thousand people, and sometimes it feels like everyone knows your name. Nice, really, unless you’re trying to sneak away to Lover’s Lane with your boyfriend and the constable personally calls your parents to let them know.”

Rose chuckled. “Did you grow up here, then?”

“I lived in London for a spell, actually,” Donna replied airily. “Left my cheating husband last year and ended up back, here of all places, with my little girl, Susan. We’re staying with my brother until we can find a place of our own.”

“How old is she?”

“She’s four. She’s with a babysitter right now, but she’ll be off to school next year and I don’t think I’m ready!”

Rose laughed. “Yeah, my mum always said I had the time of my life but she cried the entire day I was gone. I would have never known.”

“And your mum didn’t want to come up here with you? Or couldn’t she get off work?”

Rose turned back to the window as a sharp pain shot through her chest at the reminder that her mum would have been _thrilled_ at the thought of Rose inheriting a house. “No, she um… she passed away a few months back.”

“Oh, love, I’m sorry!” Donna gasped, reaching over and giving her hand a comforting squeeze. “I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories…”

“Don’t worry about it, they were good memories,” Rose assured her, wiping her eyes as discreetly as she could before turning back to Donna with as genuine a smile as she could muster. “Sometimes it still doesn’t feel real, y’know?”

“Yeah, took a while for my parents’ dying to sink in too, for me and my brother both.”

“You’re lucky, you know. I always wanted a brother. All I got was my best mate, Mickey.”

“Yeah, try calling John my best mate and he’d kill you where you stand, even though we all know it’s true. Here we are! Welcome to Evergreen Manor!”

Rose gaped as they turned up the long driveway and pulled up in front of a beautiful, stately home. As far as estates went, it didn’t seem overly ostentatious, but it was certainly large, especially for a girl from Peckham who had spent her whole life in a tiny, two-bedroom flat. The house outwardly consisted of two floors and what appeared to be an attic, while three chimney spouts peeked out of the grey roof. The color beautifully complimented the off-white stonework that peeked through the climbing ivy. Several tall windows decorated both floors, all of them desperately in need of a cleaning, but Rose could imagine how beautiful they would be sparkling clean with the ivy torn away from the walls to expose the lovely brick underneath. A set of stone steps led them up to the entrance, and Donna fiddled briefly with a set of keys before sliding them into the lock and pushing open the door.

“Welcome!” Donna announced, letting Rose step into the entryway first. “I know it doesn’t look like much now, but it really has fabulous potential. Great bones, as some would say.”

Rose’s heart ached to see the house in such disrepair. There were several pieces of broken furniture scattered about, some draped in dust cloths while others simply sat about minus one leg or with random broken pieces hanging on by a thread. An elegant staircase led up to the second floor landing. Several posts were missing from the bannister, but what was left had obviously been lovely in its prime. To her left, Rose saw what seemed to be a sitting room with several sofas and chairs in various states of disrepair arranged around one of the fireplaces. The room to her right had a set of double doors that Donna opened, revealing shelves upon shelves of books, a set of old, but cozy-looking, armchairs, and a large, stately-looking desk.

“The house was built in the 19th century,” Donna explained as Rose examined some of the books, the titles rubbed completely off of many of the spines. “It’s Georgian style, with a large kitchen in the back of the house and a mud room with the laundry facilities, a formal dining room, drawing room, sitting room, and this library/study. There’s also a powder room by the kitchen, towards the back of the house, with the old servants’ quarters that was converted years ago into a spare guest suite. Upstairs there are four bedrooms, including the master suite, with an ensuite and another full bath for the other three bedrooms. It’s much larger inside than it appears on the outside, and the windows allow for beautiful natural sunlight. Would you like to see the rest of the home and the grounds?”

“Yeah, alright,” Rose replied, starting to feel a little dizzy. The home was so much more than she was used to, and almost certainly more than she could care for on her own. The former owners must have had a battery of help, housekeepers and groundskeepers and the like, but how was she supposed to afford all of that?

As if reading her mind, Donna continued as they walked from room to room. “Your inheritance includes the home and all of the possessions left in it. There’s a small trust set up, meant to help with home repairs to make it habitable. Sadly, your great uncle sort of left the estate to deteriorate after his wife of sixty years passed away. He dismissed all the staff and donated most of his fortune to charities and various children’s hospitals all over the country. He was a good man, Mr. Tyler was. Knew everyone in the town by name. We all tried to help keep the house running but the winter has been tough on it…” Donna stopped to clear her throat, shaking her head and pasting a smile on her face before handing Rose an envelope. “Sorry, still makes me a bit sad that he’s gone. But here’s the trust information…”

Rose’s eyes bugged out at the figure on the page. “ _This_ is a small trust?”

Donna’s smile widened. “You’d be surprised how much renovations on old homes like this cost. That should get the home outfitted for you and the necessary repairs done, but it’s not likely you’ll have much left over.”

“Wow,” Rose breathed, stuffing the papers back in the envelope and following Donna back towards the large kitchen. A center island was the focal point of the room, with a large stove and oven behind it and several stools dotting the perimeter. There was a double sink, plenty of cabinets, and ample counter space with ancient appliances and an older-style refrigerator still humming in the corner. A dusty, four-seat round table was tucked away opposite the refrigerator, but the whole room definitely seemed like it had once been a comfortable and luxurious place to prepare meals. 

“Lovely, isn’t it?” Donna asked, steering Rose towards another door. “The mud room is through here, and it leads outside. The grounds aren’t as impressive in the dead of winter, but just wait until spring. Color _everywhere_.”

“Sounds gorgeous,” Rose agreed as Donna led them to what appeared to be a large shed or detached garage. “What’s in here?”

“I think it’s just extra storage, or maybe it holds the old groundskeeping supplies,” she replied, pulling the keys out of her pockets. “Let's find out together, shall we?”

She slid the key into the padlock keeping the double-doors shut and pulled it apart before throwing the doors open. Sunlight streamed in. It seemed like they had stumbled upon some kind of workshop. Rose didn’t recognize half of the tools that were hanging on the walls or any of the random pieces of machinery sitting on the single shelving unit. Dominating the space, however, was a long, car-shaped lump covered by a dingy grey tarp. The two women glanced at one another, then Donna moved forward and swept the tarp away to reveal a car that, once upon a time, must have been very impressive. Now, the sleek silver automobile sat on flat tires with grimy windows and dusty, scratched bodywork.

“Ohhhhh,” Donna murmured. “I dunno much about cars, but this one looks like a classic. Maybe from the 40s or 50s? It must have been beautiful back in the day, but your uncle probably couldn’t keep up with the repairs over the last few years.”

“Poor guy,” Rose replied, coming over to inspect the dulled paint job. She recognized the Mercedes emblem on the grill of the car, but other than that she couldn’t have said a single thing about it. Mickey was the car guy, but even he was more interested in modern engines than gorgeous classics like this. “What d’you reckon we should do about it?”

Donna looked thoughtful for a moment before a slow grin began to spread across her face. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her mobile. “Seems a shame to just junk it. I think I know someone who can help.”

“Really? Who?”

“Don’t worry,” Donna said as she dialed, held the phone to her ear and swept outside. “You’re gonna _love_ him!”

******

As they waited for Donna’s mystery person to show up, they wandered through the outside grounds, Donna pointing out the gorgeous groves of evergreen trees that dotted the property, which was how it got its name originally. In its heyday, every last one would have been dotted with fairy lights right around Christmastime and kept blinking through New Year’s. The entire property was quite lovely, despite being overgrown and unkempt. 

When they grew too cold to continue the outside tour, they moved inside to explore the second floor. The master suite was the size of her entire London flat and seemed dusty yet serviceable, but the other three bedrooms seemed to be nothing but storage. They were filled with stacks upon stacks of boxes, totes, and old furniture, all things Rose would have to sort through eventually.

After poking into every room,they made their way back to the kitchen, sitting down at the round oak table before Donna handed Rose a manila envelope. “All you have to do is sign where I’ve marked and the house is yours. You can do whatever you like with it. You can live here, you can sell it, you could turn it into a museum with walking tours…” 

Rose chuckled a bit as she read over the contracts. 

“What do you think?”

“Oh, Donna,” Rose sighed, pressing two fingers to the bridge of her nose. She could feel a headache coming on, probably from the dust in the home and having to read the tiny, incomprehensible legal script. “It’s a lovely place, really. But how am I supposed to keep up with this? I’m just a shop girl from London, I probably couldn’t even afford the heat. It’s…” she drew in a deep breath, “it’s probably best if I just stay long enough to fix it up and then sell it.”

Donna nodded, though her expression was sad. “I’m sorry to hear that. It would have been nice having you a part of our town. But I understand. Hell, I can’t imagine trying to handle a big house like this with the three of us, even if we _could_ afford it.” She reached over and squeezed Rose’s hand. “Listen, the place is yours until it sells. Why don’t you stay in the master bedroom while you fix it up? It’s perfectly livable and the kitchen is working just fine. It just needs some plumbing and electrical upgrades.. I know a good contractor…” Donna glanced down at her own papers as she said this, her cheeks turning a bright pink.

“Donna?” Rose asked, ducking down to peek at her face. “Are you _blushing_?”

“What? No! I’m not blushing!” She didn’t meet Rose’s eye, instead shoving paperwork back into their file folders and tucking them away in her handbag. “Why would I blush about a _contractor_? His name is Jack. I’ve known him for years.”

“Oh, yeah?” Rose teased. “So, this Jack, I bet he has a nice smile.”

“Yeah, he does…” Donna flushed.

“Oooh, I like a nice smile. And a nice bum?” Rose beamed. “Good smile, nice bum!?”

Donna met Rose’s eyes and they both burst into giggles.

It took several minutes for their laughter to settle, as just a glimpse at the other would trigger another round of giggles that left Rose completely breathless with tears rolling down her face. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d laughed so hard, and it felt _good_. She had no idea how badly she’d been missing the company of another woman since her mum had passed, and she felt all sorts of affection for Donna, despite having just met her.

 _Better not get too attached_ , Rose thought to herself with an internal sigh. _You’ll be leaving soon enough._

“Rose, you’re bloody _brilliant_ you are,” Donna said, wiping her eyes. “But to answer your question, _yes_ , one of the nicest I’ve ever seen!”

Rose fell into another round of giggles at that. “Well, then, I definitely can’t wait to meet him!”

“I have his card somewhere, remind me to give it to you before I go.” Donna glanced down at her watch. “John should be here any minute. We’re going to meet him in the garage.”

“John?”

“My brother,” Donna explained as they stood and headed towards the mud room. “He owns the mechanic shop in town and he knows a _ton_ about cars. He was a mechanical engineer for the military before he came home to help when our parents were sick.”

“He sounds brilliant.”

“He is,” Donna beamed proudly. “And look, there he is now! Oi, spaceman! We’re coming!”

Rose nearly stopped dead in her tracks at the image before her. A tall, slim figure was leaning casually against the workshop door, arms crossed over his chest, dressed in dark jeans, boots, and a worn black leather jacket. His hair was closely-shorn in a cut that screamed _military_ , and as he turned at Donna’s shout, a _remarkably_ handsome face greeted them. He looked like a perfectly-sculpted Roman God, with his high cheekbones, prominent nose, and frankly _delectable-looking_ mouth. He was clearly a bit older than she was, in his late thirties or early forties, and Rose realized, not for the first time, how unfair it was that men seemed to only grow _more_ attractive as they got older.

Her heart fluttered in her chest as his clear, intense blue eyes fixated on her for just a moment before shifting back to his sister.

“All right, Donna,” he muttered. “You got me out here. Had to leave the shop in Adric’s less-than-capable hands, so if it burns down while I’m gone, I’m blaming you.”

“Oh, shut it.” Donna flicked her hand at him dismissively. “Adric’s worked with you for ages, he’ll be fine. Trust me, big brother, you’ll be happy to see this.” Donna turned to Rose with a grin. “Rose Tyler, meet my older brother, and the bane of my existence for the last 30 years, Dr. John Smith. John, this is Rose, she’s Mr. Tyler’s great niece. She inherited the estate and she’s up from London to sign the papers.”

“Pleasure,” he replied, though it sounded like anything but. “Can we get on with it?”

“Always a charmer,” Donna muttered, and Rose had to stifle a giggle. She noticed a flash of amusement in John's eyes as they drifted over momentarily her, but it was gone in a flash and replaced once again by mild annoyance as Donna moved over to unlock the workshop. “You sure you’re ready for this?”

“Do I have a choice?”

“Nope.” Donna threw open the door and stepped to the side, allowing John to enter the small space first. The moment he’d stepped inside he froze, his eyes growing wide as saucers as he gaped at the car in front of him. “Fantastic!”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose meets some new friends, and sees a side of John that she wasn’t expecting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TenRoseForeverandEver is the best beta in the WORLD and gave up her precious free time to make sure I could post today! Rose_Nebula also has an incredible eye and this damn thing would not have made sense without her!
> 
> I have the best cheerleaders in the universe and this would have been dead in the water if not for them!
> 
> Thank you all for your lovely reviews and kudos! I have some time off after Christmas so, pending the demands of the toddler, hopefully I can finish replying to them all by then!

John gawked at the car for several moments before turning to the two women. “Do you have any idea what you _have_ here?”

Rose glanced over at Donna, who shrugged her shoulders. “Um… no?”

“Looks like a car to me!” Donna offered

John snorted and shook his head as Rose stifled a giggle. “You been sleepin’ under a rock? This is a 1954 Mercedes Gullwing.”

Rose blinked at him. “That supposed to sound impressive?”

“It _is_ impressive!” he protested. Rose had to bite her lip to keep from smiling at the near-pout that graced his features. “It was voted sports car of the century in 1999. There are only 1200 of them in _existence_!”

“Oh. That’s… not a lot?”

John looked so thoroughly exasperated with her that it almost broke her calm facade. “Too right it isn’t! This car has been owned by _kings_ , and now you’re telling me I’ve had one practically in my backyard for who knows how long! And look at you!” He was addressing the car now, running a hand over the bodywork in what could almost be called a _caress_. Rose had to shake off the flash of irrational jealousy she felt as she took in his frankly gorgeous hands and the graceful way they smoothed over the car’s surface. What was _wrong_ with her, standing here in a cold shed, jealous of a _car_? “What have they _done_ to you, love? It’s a travesty is what it is! Letting a gorgeous thing like you sit here gathering dust!”

“You know it can’t hear you, John,” Donna interjected.

He turned to his sister with a glare. “Not an idiot, me. You know, for all the times Bill brought his Jaguar in, you’d think he would have mentioned he had an actual unicorn rotting in his garage. I’d have offered to keep it up in a heartbeat.”

“Well isn’t that _wizard_ ,” Donna grinned at him. “Because incidentally that’s exactly what we need. Feel up to another restoration project?”

“Do you have any idea what something like this would _cost_?” John asked, leaning back against a workbench and once again crossing his arms over his chest. “The engine alone is going to set you back a small fortune and don’t get me started on the body work.”

“Oh,” Rose said in a small voice. “Probably not enough room in the budget then, huh, Donna?”

“Oh, don’t worry about that, Rose, I’m certain John could float it.”

“I’m certain John could _not_ ,” he protested. “I don’t work for free, Donna.”

“Please,” his sister dismissed with a wave of her hand, “I know you, this is a dream restoration for you. Besides, you can easily get everything at cost from your suppliers.”

“I’ll pay you back after it sells,” Rose told him. “I take it, it’s worth a lot?”

“Like this? Few thousand pounds, if that. But fully restored? We’re talking a couple of million, easy.”

Rose gaped at him, the words hitting her ears but taking several extra moments to process and hit her brain. “Sorry… a couple of _million_?”

“You’d have to find a collector, so it’d take a bit of time, but yeah, that’s about the size of it.”

Rose was stunned into silence. That was more money than she’d ever even _dreamed_ of, far more than she’d ever expected to earn in her entire lifetime. The sheer _thought_ of it was making her head spin. She could barely decide how to respond, finally just squeaking out a quiet, “Blimey!”

“Couldn’t have said it better meself.”

Rose glanced up and met John’s eyes. “Would you really be willing to work on it?”

John heaved a deep sigh. “Suppose I could come by after I close the shop tomorrow night.”

“Tomorrow is the tree lighting,” Donna piped up. “You promised Susan you’d come with us this year.”

“Oh, do I have to?” He wrinkled his nose in distaste.

“Yes, you have to, you big dumbo!” Donna put her hands on her hips. “Or do you want to tell Susan that the thing she’s been looking forward to since her birthday won’t include her favorite person?”

John rolled his eyes. “Fine, I’ll be by at the weekend,” he muttered. “That work, Miss Tyler?”

“It’s Rose,” she insisted.

“ _Rose_ then,” he drawled, his rich baritone rolling so smoothly over the single syllable of her name that she had to suppress the shiver of pleasure that threatened to run down her spine. “Saturday alright by you?”

“Yeah. Thank you, Dr. Smith, you don’t know what a help this is.”

“‘S fine,” he muttered. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket and glanced down at his boots, not meeting her eyes. “Something to do, after all.”

“John!” Donna snapped, and to Rose’s amusement, his head snapped up and the tips of his ears turned red. 

“I mean, it’ll be a pleasure. Workin’ on a classic. Now, if you don’t mind, I have to pick Susan up from Nancy’s. You’ll be late tonight, Donna?”

“Yeah, I’ll bring home a pizza for supper,” she told him. “I’ll ring you on the way.”

John nodded before turning on the heel of his boot and leaving the garage without any further farewells. Donna shot Rose an apologetic look as soon as she heard the crackling of tires over the gravel. “Sorry about him, Rose. I know he comes off a little…” Donna floundered a bit for the right word. 

“Grumpy?” Rose supplied. “Gruff? Grouchy?”

“I could add a few more adjectives to that but yeah, basically,” Donna told her with a grin. “He’s a big teddy bear underneath, truly. He’s always a bit of a grump but it gets even worse around Christmastime.”

“What, he doesn’t like Christmas?” Rose joked with a grin.

“Not in the slightest.”

“Seriously?” Rose felt her jaw drop open in shock. “I was joking!”

“I know, it’s ironic. He lives in a town called Christmas but he hates the holiday.”

“How could _anyone_ hate Christmas? Especially living here?”

Donna hesitated. “It’s not really my story to tell, but he’s had a rough few years and it always seems to happen ‘round the holidays. It’s turned him off the whole season, everyone being happy and joyful around him when he was so miserable.”

“Oh,” Rose said in a small voice. An actual physical ache had settled in her chest hearing Donna talk about her brother. Despite the fact that she’d only known him for maybe ten minutes, she suddenly wanted nothing more than to take him by the hand and drag him off to do all the fun Christmas time activities her mum used to plan. They had always brought a special joy to the season that had nothing to do with presents. She started to make a list in her head, remembering all the times she and her mum had epic snowball fights, quiet nights of biscuit baking, and afternoons ice skating before reminding herself that she barely knew the man, and from what she had seen, he likely wouldn’t be the type to welcome having a complete stranger force him into Christmas revelry. 

“You know,” Donna’s voice interrupted her train of thought. “If you love the holidays so much, you really should come with us to the tree lighting!”

“Oh, no, Donna, that’s alright. I wouldn’t want to intrude on your family time.”

“Not at all! We see each other all the time and quite frankly I’m sick of my brother’s daft face.” Rose chuckled as Donna continued. “I think it would do him some good to get to know someone new. Plus you could meet Susan. She would adore you.”

Rose felt a smile stretch across her face. “Yeah, alright. Thanks, Donna.”

“Lovely!” Donna beamed at her. “Now, let’s get all of this bloody paperwork taken care of so I can file everything back at the office tonight. We can wait a bit, until the renovations are underway, to list the home for sale, but we don’t exactly get a lot of interest in the town. I imagine it will take some time.”

“That’s fine,” Rose told her. “I can stay. Not like I have any job or family to go back to or anything.”

“You’ll love it here, I promise. This time of year the town goes all out. There’s bonfires every weekend, the tree lighting tomorrow, breakfast with Father Christmas, ice skating… it’s really brilliant! Now, after we get these signed, how about a tour of the town? You’re going to need groceries. We cleared out the kitchen pretty well. I can show you the post office, the library, all the best shops… what do you say?”

“Sounds _brilliant_ ,” Rose said, beaming as Donna linked their arms together and led them back into the house.

******

Rose had a wonderful time with Donna, the fiery ginger regaling her with stories of her childhood growing up in Christmas and the different mischiefs she and her brother would get into around town. Apparently John had been quite the prankster, and a brilliant one at that. His specialties involved filling the school hallways with the results of his different science experiments and rearranging the letters in various restaurant and church signs. He _always_ managed to sneak away before getting caught, and Rose found herself laughing at his escapades to the point of tears more often in the two hours she spent with Donna than she had in the last several years.

When they finally returned back to the manor, Donna helped Rose unload the groceries before bidding her farewell, and after Rose got everything into the various cabinets and the refrigerator, she used the time alone to get to know the house better. She made a to-do list as she straightened up a few of the core living spaces, noting any paint or wallpaper that needed a touch-up, molding that needed repaired, and any other visual improvements that jumped out at her. The rest of the day seemed to fly by, and as the sun began to set she realized how absolutely _famished_ she was. 

Rose ate a simple supper of cold-cut sandwiches and crisps, made up the large bed with fresh sheets from the linen closet, and curled up with a copy of _And Then There Were None_ , by Agatha Christie, that she had found while exploring the library. When she finally felt drowsy enough to sleep, it was fitful, the absolute quiet of this small town a direct contrast to the ever-constant hum that she’d grown used to in London. There were always cars going in the street, people coming home late from the pubs, and early-morning businesses getting ready to open for the day. Here, the silence was unnerving, and Rose found every crack of a twig or rustle of wind waking her out of her light doze.

She stayed in bed a bit later than she was used to, hoping for a bit more sleep, but once the clock chimed 10 AM she decided it was time to give up on the notion. She called the contractor Donna had recommended as she drank her tea, and the man’s suave, charming voice put her at immediate ease. He admitted that winter and the holiday season meant things were a bit slow and he would be able to come out that afternoon to look over the manor and see what needed to be done to make the home move-in ready. Rose thanked him profusely and set about getting herself ready, learning how long it actually took the ancient pipes to produce hot water (far too long), and how long said hot water lasted (not nearly long enough). She had dusted off the bedroom furniture the day before, and set up her makeup and hair products at a lovely little vanity that sat perfectly in the morning light. The manor house really was lovely, but she was already exhausted after only cleaning three rooms enough to make them somewhat livable, and she really couldn’t imagine keeping up with it on her own.

She was just pulling on her socks when a melodic chime rang through the room. She startled a bit before realizing that it was the doorbell, and she raced down the hallway and stairs to answer it. When she managed to get the door open, she had to consciously keep her jaw from dropping at the movie-star gorgeous man that was standing on the other side. 

“Hello there,” he grinned, holding out a hand. “Captain Jack Harkness, contractor extraordinaire. Rose Tyler, I presume?”

“Yeah, that’s me!” Rose shook his hand, noticing that his hands were silky smooth despite the work that he did. “Thanks for coming on such short notice.”

“I’m happy to come on any notice, frankly,” he said with a completely devilish, infectious grin that shifted into something softer as he covered their joined hands with his free one. “I was sorry to hear about your uncle. He was a sweet man and well-loved around here. We all miss him.”

“Thank you, Mr. Harkness. The more I hear about him the more I wish I knew him better. Have you been inside the house before?” She squeezed his hand before letting it go, stepping to the side and allowing him to enter the house.

“Please, call me Jack,” he replied, turning a circle in the entryway. “I haven’t been inside, no. But it’s _gorgeous_. They don’t make ‘em like this anymore.”

“I wouldn’t know,” Rose admitted with a shrug. “I’m from London. Never been further away than a weekend at Blackpool. Mum and I didn’t travel much.”

“How do you like our little town of Christmas so far?”

“It’s brilliant!” Rose responded as she led them into the sitting room. “I almost wish I could stay here, but it’s not really possible.”

“Donna said you were planning to sell the manor.”

“Yeah, after we get it fixed up a little. Too much for a shop girl from London to keep up all on her own.”

“All on your own?” Jack asked with his eyebrows raised. “No boyfriend or husband to move up here with you?”

Rose chuckled. “Nah, just my best mate, Mickey, and I’d never get him out of the city.”

“Shame,” Jack grinned at her. “So, why don’t you tell me what your vision is for the house?”

Rose laughed. “I don’t really have one. Maybe just update things here and there? Mend the broken bits?”

“So you’d like to keep the home’s original aesthetic?”

“I think so,” she replied. “Let the new buyers redecorate it how they like.”

Rose led Jack through the house and they discussed what Rose’s options were as far as design and improvements. She shared her budget with him, and he assured her he’d be able to work within it easily. He also gave her a few names for additional work; an engineer who could update the heating system, a landscaper that could clear out some of the dead brush and prep the flower beds for spring, and an electrician to update the grid and make the home a little more efficient.

When they reached the kitchen, Rose made them each a cup of tea and they drank the warm beverages as they finalized the plan at the little oak table. Jack was incredibly knowledgeable and took any opportunity to add in a flirty comment, but Rose found she didn’t mind in the slightest. He seemed like a _genuine_ person, and the flirting was just an innate part of his personality. After the plans had been reviewed and finalized, they sat at the table with fresh cups of tea in front of them, chatting like old friends.

“So how long have you known Donna?”

“Oh, _years_ ,” Jack said. “My brother and I lived in America until our parents divorced and then my mum moved us back here to live with my grandma just before what would have been high school where I grew up. Donna was in my graduating class.” He chuckled a bit, shaking his head. “She hasn’t changed a bit in twenty years. Still as funny, bold, and righteous as ever.”

“You two never…?”

Jack smiled at that. “Nah. We’re friends, always have been. But I guess you could call me a… _serial dater_. That’s not really her type.”

“I bet you would be great together.”

“I’ve been telling her the same thing for _ages_! Maybe if we both work on her she’ll come around!”

Rose laughed. “Did you know her brother as well?”

“John? Kind of. He mostly spent summers here until his mum died, but he’s a few years older than Donna and me. He was a legend, though! Got away with everything. Even wore a leather jacket just like the one he wears now. I think he has one in every size!” He peered at Rose, those bright blue eyes seeing right through her. “Why do you ask?”

Rose felt her cheeks heat up. “No reason.”

“Or could the reason be that he’s _gorgeous_?” Jack teased. “All broody and tortured and looking like a sculpted Roman God?”

Rose burst into a fit of giggles. “I guess you could say that. But no matter, I’m far too young for him.”

“Age is but a number!”

“And I won’t be here long enough to keep anything going. I’ll be heading back to London as soon as the manor sells.”

“There’s always phone sex…?”

Rose broke into giggles at this comment, Jack reminding her so much of some of her best girlfriends. “You’re too much, Jack.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” He winked at her before draining the last of his tea and rolling up the rough sketches and notes they’d put together. “I should let you get ready. You’re meeting Donna, Susan, and John at the tree lighting festival tonight, right?”

“Yeah, how’d you know?”

“Donna tells me everything,” he said with a winning smile. “Oh, and by the way, John’s excited to get working on the car, no matter what he says to the contrary.”

Rose grinned as they stood up from the table. She walked Jack to the door and he departed with a hug and a promise that he would see her at the festival in a few hours. As he left, Rose heard the ancient grandfather clock in the study chime three o’ clock and yelped. She had planned to meet Donna at six, and she still had some unpacking to do before she could get ready.

Rose raced back up the staircase, the to-do list for the evening growing steadily in her head.

******

Rose managed to fully unpack her large duffel in time for her to get ready, frustrated that she hadn’t brought anything nice enough to make an impression on the town of Christmas. Still, she did her best, bringing out her favorite jumper and boots to wear with her close-fitting jeans, finishing everything off with the dark wool pea coat she’d gotten from Henrick’s the year before, combining end-of-the-year sales with her employee discount and a little bit of Christmas money from various family members to make the expensive designer coat affordable. She added her brightly-colored hat, scarf, and glove set before heading out to the waiting rideshare that would take her the ten minute drive into town.

Upon arriving in tree-lighting it was easy to spot Donna even though she was facing away from Rose at first, her fiery red hair blazing in the nearby bonfire. She was standing next to a tall figure with close-cropped hair that Rose immediately knew was John, and her smile stretched at the tiny figure that was perched in his arms as all three of them admired the huge Christmas tree towering over them.

Rose approached them, the features of their faces coming into sharper view as she drew closer. She was only about ten feet away when she had to stop, her feet no longer able to carry her any further. John had shifted a bit in her direction but hadn’t noticed her yet, and if she had thought he was handsome back at the garage, he was positively _breathtaking_ in that moment. He was gazing up at the curly-haired child in his arms, beaming at her like she’d hung the moon. His smile was like nothing she’d ever seen before; unashamedly adoring and contented and making him look years younger than he had appeared the previous day. His face was alight with joy as the little girl hugged him around the neck, and Rose could practically _feel_ the waves of love radiating off him.

She let out an involuntary sigh as her heart fluttered in her chest.

Despite what she had told Jack earlier, in that moment, Rose knew that she was an absolute _goner_.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose enjoys the Tree Lighting and makes a new friend!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, TenRoseForeverandEver is a brilliant beta, Rose_Nebula gives me LIFE, HiddenTreasures keeps me going, and SelenaTerna is basically Nine in human female form!
> 
> Thank you for the wonderful reviews and kudos! They keep me inspired!

“Rose! There you are! Get over here!”

Donna’s voice pulled Rose out of the trance John’s smile had put her under, and she managed a shaky smile and wave before heading over to the little trio. John turned towards her at Donna’s greeting and his eyes narrowed a bit before snapping his head over to his sister and hissing something to her that Rose couldn’t make out. 

By the looks of things, he was most definitely _not_ pleased to see her.

She caught the tail end of Donna’s answering admonishment, the redheaded woman biting out a, “ _Be nice_ ,” to her brother before she turned to Rose with a wide grin. “It’s so nice to see you, Rose! You’re going to love the Tree Lighting Festival! There are games and food booths and the best hot chocolate you’ve ever tasted!”

“I can’t wait,” Rose answered truthfully. “Nice to see you again, Dr. Smith.”

“Yes, lovely,” he muttered, shifting the little girl in his arms who had buried her head in his neck when Rose approached.

“And this must be Susan!” Rose announced, stepping just forward enough for Susan to have a good view of her face. “It’s very nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Susan peeked out a bit from John’s neck, whispering a tiny, “Hello,” before ducking back to hide her face. 

Donna glanced over at Rose apologetically, and Rose shook her head in what she hoped was a reassuring gesture. “I love your boots. They look like dinosaurs.”

Susan lifted her head just a bit. “They’re dragons.”

Rose gasped. “Dragons are _brilliant_! Do you have a favorite one? Maybe from a book? Or a film?”

“I like Toothless,” she replied, growing more bold. Her face was fully visible now, and Rose could see a great deal of Donna in her blue-green eyes and cute little nose. “They think he’s scary at first but he’s really like a kitten.” She turned the full force of her charming smile on John, who beamed back in response. “Uncle John, do you remember when we watched the film together? Do you remember when you cried at the end?”

“Alright, well, that’s enough dragon talk,” John said quickly, the tips of his ears going pink. “Now that Rose is here, where shall we go first?”

“The _games_!” Susan shrieked, pushing against John’s chest so he would let her down. She hopped ahead and grabbed Rose by the hand, tugging her towards one of the booths. Rose chanced a look back at Donna and John as Susan dragged her away. Donna was beaming at them, while John looked even more disgruntled than before.

“Oh, Donna, thanks for sending Jack my way,” Rose said as they fell into step together. “He’s brilliant.”

Donna blushed a bit. “He is, isn’t he? I’m glad you liked him. He’s very good at what he does.”

“He’s also _quite_ fit, just like you said!” Rose and Donna burst into giggles. She chanced a look at John, whose frown had deepened. “And what does he mean, he’s a Captain? Captain of what?”

John scoffed. “He’s not really a Captain.”

“Captain Jack is a great friend!” Susan piped up. “He tells the _best_ stories!”

“Yeah, and most of them end up with him naked and running away from the police.”

“John!” Donna snapped, reaching down to cover Susan’s ears with her hands. “Wrong stories!”

Rose laughed as they wandered a bit more, looking at all of the booths and letting Susan play a few of the games meant strictly for children. She won a few sweets by turning over the right color duck in a pond, knocked over a stack of bottles in the bottle toss and got a shimmering plastic necklace, and all the while chattered at Rose about dragons, her friends at Miss Nancy’s house, and how she was due to start school the following year.

“So what else do you like to do then?” Rose asked as Susan skipped alongside her, the auburn curls that were partially contained by her glittery knit cap bouncing against her shoulders.

“Hmmm,” Susan replied, tapping her chin thoughtfully. “I like to draw, and I like to watch films. I like when Uncle John reads to me at bedtime. Oh, and I like dancing. I take lessons at Miss Amy’s studio, and we’re putting on a Christmas pageant in a few weeks.”

“That sounds like great fun!” They had reached a booth that consisted of a wall full of tiny, inflated balloons. “Here, why don’t we try this? How much?”

“Three darts for one pound,” the attendant, a bored-looking teenage boy monotoned. “Step right up, give it a go. Yay.”

“No, thank you, this looks like a grown-up game. You and Mummy and Uncle John could play it!”

“Sounds like a brilliant idea, love,” Donna said, coming up and handing the attendant a five pound note. “Five for each of us, then?”

They each stepped up, one at a time, and shot their darts at the balloons. Donna managed to hit two, neither of which held a prize, while John hit all 5 of his marks with still no prize. Rose was starting to wonder if the game was rigged when, on her third shot, she hit a pink balloon and a little square of paper fell to the ground.

“Whoo,” the attendant whooped unenthusiastically, waving his hands in the air. “You win a prize. Hooray. You may pick from any stuffed animal.”

“Brilliant!” Rose beamed at the attendant before turning her attention to Susan. “Which do you think, Susan?”

“The pink pig!” The little girl bounced and clapped her hands as the attendant unhooked one of the large stuffed animals and handed it to Rose. In turn, Rose crouched down and handed it to Susan.

“Here you are,” Rose said. “I think your dragon friends would love to meet a new piggy friend. You should take him home.”

Susan gave her a wide, happy smile that Rose realized in that moment was an exact, miniature replica of her uncle’s. “Thank you, Miss Rose!”

“That was very sweet, Rose.” Donna wrapped an arm around Susan’s shoulder. “And what are you going to call this little piggy?”

“Hmmm… what about Wilbur? Like from the book you read me, Uncle John, remember?”

“I think that’s perfect, little bean,” John told her, sweeping her back up into his arms. “Now, what else shall we do? We have a bit of time before the tree lighting.”

“How about some hot chocolate to warm up?” Donna suggested. “I cannot even begin to wonder how you’re not freezing in just that jacket and scarf.”

John shrugged. “Never minded the cold, me. You know that.”

“No less baffling.” Donna shook her head as they joined the queue for the hot chocolate. It moved relatively quickly, and they each had a warm paper cup clutched in their hands within a few minutes.

“Mmmmm,” Rose moaned, closing her eyes as she took a sip of the steaming, chocolatey beverage. It really was as good as Donna had said; sweet and creamy with just the right amount of marshmallows. “That’s _gorgeous_.”

She peeked her eyes open just in time to see John hastily look away from her, but didn’t miss the way the tips of his ears were tinged pink in a way that they hadn’t been before they’d gotten their beverages.

She grinned a little into her cup. Maybe he _wasn’t_ completely indifferent to her presence after all. She knew quite well that he was far too old for her, and that there was no point in indulging in her attraction when she was only a temporary resident of the town, but there was no harm in a little flirting.

“Mum, I have to go to the loo,” Susan interrupted as she tugged on Donna’s sleeve. “Can you take me?”

“Sure, love, but we best hurry, the tree lighting is in ten minutes.” She narrowed her eyes at John. “Don’t get into any trouble while we’re gone, do you hear me?”

“Trouble? Whatever do you mean?” he replied innocently, with that blasted bloody smile. While it lacked the besotted affection of the one he gave to Susan, it held the same warmth and gentleness and obvious love for his sister, and Rose felt that warm swooping sensation in her stomach once again.

That smile was _dangerous_.

Once Donna had turned to walk towards the portaloos with little Susan in tow, Rose turned to John and gave him what she hoped was a winning smile of her own. She gestured to a nearby bench. “Care to sit? It’ll be warm by the bonfire.”

He shrugged. “Might as well.”

Rose kept the smile on her face as they sat together on the bench. The small, wooden seat was just wide enough for both of them and allowed at least a small amount of space between their bodies. Rose turned fully towards him and took a sip of her hot chocolate before speaking. “I want to apologize. I didn’t mean to interfere with your family time.”

John’s head turned a bit towards her. “‘S fine. It’s always family time when you live together.”

Rose chuckled. “That’s almost exactly what Donna said. Still, for what it’s worth, I am sorry.”

He made some sort of noncommittal noise before taking a sip of his own drink. Rose sighed. _He may be gorgeous, but certainly no Prince Charming._

“So if you and Donna are brother and sister, how come you sound like you’re from the North?”

The corners of his mouth quirked up and he finally turned a bit towards her before he answered. “Lots of families these days with a Manc or two in the attic.”

Rose laughed. At least he had some sense of humor. “Oh, stop. Donna talks about you non-stop, you know. You’re like her Superman.”

“Doubtful,” he scoffed. “But, since you asked… she’s my half-sister. Our dad divorced my mum when I was young, so Mum and I lived with her family in Manchester. I got to visit my dad and his new wife and my sister every summer until mum died when I was a teen.”

“I’m sorry,” Rose said, reaching out and squeezing his upper arm through the thick leather of his jacket. “I just lost my mum too. It’s never easy.”

He met her gaze, the intensity in his blue eyes warming her more effectively than the bonfire ever could. “No, it’s not. But thank you.” He shifted a bit more towards her. “I knew your aunt and uncle pretty well. Good people, Bill and Edna. Always looking out for the town folks, always sharing everything they had.”

“They sound wonderful. I wish I had known them.”

He stared at her quizzically. “Was wondering why I’d never seen you around here, visiting over school breaks and holidays since Bill left you the house and all that. Christmas visits are practically mandatory around here. But Donna told me you’d never heard of him before this.”

Rose shook her head. “Nah, he was my dad’s uncle. I guess I’m the only one one on my dad’s side left.”

“Must have been a pretty small family.”

Rose glanced down at the paper mug in her hand, fighting against the burning in her eyes. It still crept up on her, even so many months after, the profound _ache_ that her mother’s absence had left. “Yeah, I guess you could say that.” Rose let out a watery chuckle, but the tears remained at bay, and when she finally raised her eyes to meet John’s, she could see that they had softened. “The three of us are quite a group, aren’t we? Should start a club. Saturday Orphans or something.”

John laughed. “We could get t-shirts made up.”

“Spend the weekends eating gruel and scrubbing the floors.”

“With toothbrushes.”

They were grinning quite goofily at one another, Rose was certain of it, when Donna and Susan returned. Donna stood in front of them with her eyebrow raised. “Did I miss out on the joke?”

“‘S not important,” John said, draining his hot chocolate and standing up from the bench before reaching for Susan. “Tree lighting’s about to start. And I’ve got the best view in the house, right up here!” He lifted the giggling little girl up onto his shoulders, her arms wrapping immediately around his neck in a well-practiced move as she planted a kiss to his cheek. That _smile_ was back again as he peered up at Susan, and Rose wasn’t surprised to see its miniature stretched across the little girl’s face. The ease at which he handled her and care that he took in keeping her steady on his shoulder was absolutely _adorable._

_And bloody sexy_ , a voice that sounded suspiciously like her mother floated through her head.

Rose smiled and followed along with the gathering crowd, falling into step next to John, Donna strolling along on his other side. Susan was chattering away and Donna muttered something about a sugar high as they reached the giant pine tree, adorned with red, green, and silver baubles, and strung with unlit lights. There was a stage and podium set up to the side, and it was only a few minutes before a portly gentleman in a dark suit, top hat, and a shock of white facial hair ascended the stairs and took his place behind the microphone, tapping on it, and grinning merrily at the crowd.

“Welcome, citizens and visitors of our little town called Christmas!” The assembled crowd cheered heartily, Susan shouting and waving her mittened hands through the air while John held onto her little legs for dear life. “Welcome to our seventy-fifth annual Tree Lighting Festival! I’m your town councillor, Nicholas Noel, and I’m proud to be your Master of Ceremonies this evening!”

Applause rang through the crowd, before Councillor Noel raised his hands up and indicated silence. “Now, I know those who have had more than one Tree Lighting with us are used to a different face up here. Sadly, our favorite town elder, the illustrious and irreplaceable William Tyler, passed away before he could celebrate yet another holiday season with us. He was a pillar of this town, a model of the very best that Christmas has to offer. This year’s tree lighting is dedicated to our old friend, Bill.”

A solemn hush fell over the crowd, many of the townspeople bowing their heads with eyes closed, silent for a few moments. Even Mr. Noel bowed his rosy head, removing his top hat and pressing it to his chest in a sign of respect, and Donna and John looked thoughtful and somewhat sad next to her.

“If you can hear us, Bill,” Counsellor Noel broke the silence. “We hope you and Edna are watching over this day and you’re happy together. Wherever you are.” His head came out of its bow, a twinkle in his eye and jolly smile on his face as he replaced his top hat. “Now, if you’ll all join me in counting down, Christmas in Christmas can officially begin. Five!”

“Four!” the entire crowd began to chant. “Three! Two! ONE!”

Councillor Noel flipped a switch on the podium, and the tree came to life.

Rose stared in wide-eyed shock as the white lights began to cascade down from the top of the tree, the effect looking as though someone was _pouring_ them from above. They rippled and undulated, and the lighted baubles came to life in perfect timing. It only took a few seconds, but soon the tree was glittering away like it was covered in perfectly sparkling diamonds. The crowd cheered wildly, and Councillor Noel climbed up a ladder to place a large, reflective silver star on the very tip of the tree.

The effect was dazzling. Rose chanced a look over at John and Susan. The little girl looked delighted, her face the picture of innocent awe as she grinned happily at the fully lit tree. John had his neck craned to watch her, the lights reflected in the clear blue of his eyes and shining on his face as he watched his beloved niece enjoy a taste of Christmas magic.

He may not love Christmas, but it was painfully evident that he did love Susan with all of his heart.

The amplifier on stage suddenly came to life, bringing Rose’s attention away from John and Susan, the familiar tune of _Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree_ playing through the town square. Susan squealed and bounced a little on his shoulders.

“It’s dancing time!” she announced. “Dance with us, Uncle John!”

“Gonna have to sit this one out, beanie,” he said, lifting the little girl off his shoulders and setting her on her feet. “Go have this dance with Mummy and maybe we’ll have time for candy floss before we go.”

“ _Yes_ ,” Susan shrieked, grabbing Donna’s hand and pulling her into the throng of dancers.

Rose turned to John, her tongue caught between her teeth in her most teasing grin. “What, does the world end if Dr. Smith dances?”

His gaze slid over to Rose, a hint of a smile on his face. “Course not,” he stated, simply and without further elaboration. “Tell you what, Donna won’t let Susan have much sugar before bedtime, but she can’t tell me what to eat. I heard one of the booths had deep-fried Oreos. If we hurry, we can get a few and be back by the time the song is done.” His hint of a smile turned into a charming, challenging grin as he held out his hand. “You up for it?”

“Deep fried Oreos? Sounds like Heaven.”

John’s grin widened as he grasped her hand in his, leaned in close to her ear, and whispered one word that made her shiver from head to toe,

“ _Run_!”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John and Rose get to spend a little time together and the attraction between them grows a bit stronger!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you to TenRoseForeverandEver and rose_nebula for their wonderful suggestions and contributions, SelenaTerna for letting me into the part of her brain strictly reserved for Nine, and HiddenTreasures for all of her endless love and support!
> 
> I’m sorry for the delay in posting. The holidays around here are a busy time and this has been ready for a final edit for DAYS. To no one’s surprise, it has been a rough week for a lot of people, both in and out of the US. 
> 
> Thank you all for your lovely kudos and comments. They give me LIFE! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE remember to be kind to one another, be kind to yourselves, and don’t lose hope. Better times are ahead!

Rose groaned when her alarm chirped the following morning, not even remotely caught up on the rest she had lost the night before. She’d fallen into bed as soon as she’d gotten back, exhausted not only from lack of sleep but also from the excitement of the tree lighting. After John had tugged her away to split an order of fried Oreos, that had basically been Heaven on a plate, they’d shared a large candy floss with Susan, and bid one another good night before the sugar high hit the excitable four-year-old. John had left her with a reminder that he would be by the following morning to start work on the car, and Rose recalled squashing the overwhelming urge she had felt to hug him goodbye, instead shaking his hand warmly and satiating her urge to hug on Donna and Susan instead.

After dragging herself out of bed and into a shower (that once again took far too long to warm up) Rose dressed comfortably in a pair of sweats and a hoodie with her long blonde hair tied on top of her head in a careless bun. She was planning on doing a deeper clean of the rooms she knew she would use most while she was there and all the areas where Jack would be working and helping with the renovations. She hoped to sort through what was left in the kitchen as well, but the items on her to-do list were creeping up in number the more she explored the house. She was certain she’d need a second sheet of paper before long and would have to prioritize.

She was in the middle of numbering her tasks over her second cup of tea when the doorbell chimed through the house. She took the mug with her as she pushed up from the table and padded down the long hallway that led to the front door, pulling it open and feeling an instant smile spread across her face when John Smith’s tall, lean form was revealed. He was dressed in what she was beginning to see was his standard attire; dark jeans, boots, a jumper (a navy one today that made the blue in his eyes seem a bit brighter), and his ever-present leather jacket.

“Morning, Dr. Smith!” she greeted him.

He didn’t reply at first, his mouth falling open just a bit. His eyes widened slightly as they roved down and back up over her form, and the tips of his ears turned pink when they lingered on her sweats-and-hoodie combination.

“What? What is it? Did I dribble on my shirt or something?” Rose asked, suddenly self-conscious as she checked herself over, thankfully finding nothing out of the ordinary.

He cleared his throat and shook his head, shutting his eyes for a moment before answering. “Oh, erm, no, not at all. Just… the casual look. It… suits you, is all.”

Rose felt her smile widen at his adorable bumbling. “Oh, thanks. I knew I was having company so I made sure to put on my best jumper. Do you want to come in?”

“Oh! No, that’s alright. I was just letting you know I was here. I was just going to get started.”

“Oh,” Rose tried not to let the disappointment show in her voice. She had been looking forward to chatting with him a bit before him getting down to business. Certainly, they’d had moments of clashing, but she’d seen a side of him the night before that, even though she knew nothing could really come of it, she wanted to get to know a little better. “Well, do you want some tea or coffee or anything? I always make enough for twelve people. ‘S my mum’s influence.”

She watched his eyes soften a bit, the muscles in his face relaxing infinitesimally. “Suppose I could come in for a mo’.”

Rose wasn’t sure she was able to contain the delight on her face, and the soft smile on his face as he crossed the threshold didn’t help matters. She led him down the hallway and into the kitchen, where she gestured to the little oak table and set about pulling another mug down from the cupboard pouring the contents of her kettle into it.

“It’s John, by the way.”

“Hmm?”

“John,” he replied. “You’ve been calling me Dr. Smith this entire time, but you can call me John. Everyone does.”

“All right.” Rose moved to the table and placed the mug, a tiny pitcher of cream, and sugar dish in front of him before taking her own seat. “John it is then.”

He smiled at her before pouring a bit of the cream into his cup and taking a sip of the hot beverage. He raised his eyebrows as he placed it back onto the table. “Now that’s a good cuppa. Haven’t had one that good since my stepmum was alive.”

“Thanks,” Rose beamed. “My mum made the _best_ tea. I still can’t get it _quite_ right. No matter what I do, hers was always better.”

“Tough act to follow, this,” he muttered as he took another sip. “So, you got to hear practically my whole life story last night but I know nothing about yours. Donna tells me you grew up in London?”

“Yup, born and bred!” Rose approximated a terrible American accent that had John snorting into his mug. She shrugged her shoulders and dropped her gaze to her own tea before continuing. “Nothing else to tell. Left school when I was sixteen, moved in with a bloke; he left; crawled back home to my mum’s and worked in a shop.”

“Sounds like there’s a lot more to tell between the lines.”

Rose shrugged. “Not really. I’m boring.”

“I just met you and even I know that’s bollocks.”

Rose’s eyes slid up to meet him. She was certain she was gaping at him quite stupidly, but she was totally transfixed by the intensity in his blue eyes. She didn’t know quite how to respond, but she did know that she could sit in this moment, gazing into the stormy depths of John Smith’s gorgeous eyes, for the next several hours and have it sustain her for all of her days.

Unfortunately, he blinked first, pushing back from the table and draining his tea. “Thanks for the cuppa, Rose. I’ll just… erm… go get started. Get in there, figuring out what I need to order…”

“Right, right,” Rose replied. “Do you need the key?”

“Donna got me one.”

“Okay, well, I’ll be doing some cleaning. Let me know if you need anything, yeah?”

“Yeah,” he agreed.

“Good.”

“Yep.” 

Rose bit her lip to stop the smile that was trying to spread across her face at his adorable awkwardness. His gaze zeroed in on her mouth just long enough for her to notice, but he quickly turned on his heel and left the kitchen through the mud room. Rose finally let the threatening grin blossom, and busied herself with clearing up the mugs and replaying the breathtaking look in his eyes over and over again.

******

Rose started with a deep-clean of the sitting room, swiping every dusty surface and picture frame, vacuuming all of the salvageable furniture and scrubbing the baseboards before polishing all the wooden surfaces and tackling the floors last. It took a few hours, but the room looked perfectly serviceable and welcoming by the time she was finished. The decor was classically beautiful, with lots of bright, nature-inspired artwork that complimented the light wood of the floors and the cream-colored walls. Not much furniture was left after Rose had dragged all of the broken chairs, tables, and lamps into the foyer, but a cozy blue sofa and matching printed armchair were perfectly usable along with a larger coffee table, one matching end table, and enough simple lamps to light the room in the evenings. 

She moved on to the study after that, dusting the shelves, desk, and cabinets. There were no issues with any of the furniture in here. In fact, this room was practically _pristine_ compared to the rest of the house. The desk was dulled a bit by the dust and needed a good polishing, but most of the furniture was in perfect shape and the books seemed meticulously kept, with only a faint layer of dust that she swept easily away. Even the oldest books looked well-cared for, and she suddenly wanted nothing more than to curl up in one of the cozy armchairs, light a fire, and start reading.

It wasn’t until the old grandfather clock began to chime three o’clock that she realized she’d worked completely through lunchtime, was utterly _starving_ , and hadn’t heard a peep out of John in the five hours since he’d arrived. He must have been hungry too, unless he had snuck into the kitchen to nosh when she wasn’t looking. Despite feeling grimy and disgusting, she slipped on her trainers and decided to check in and see if he would join her for a late lunch.

She was completely unprepared for the sight that greeted her when she arrived at the detached garage, and the only word her brain seemed capable of repeating was _forearms_.

John was tinkering under the open hood of the car, having discarded his leather jacket and jumper and was clad only in his white vest and dark jeans. His face was a picture of intense concentration as he worked a spanner on the mass of filthy metal inside. Her mouth went dry as she watched the muscles play under his skin, and her hands were itching to reach over and just start _touching_. She’d never found forearms particularly attractive before, but for some reason his perfectly-shaped, lightly muscled, and thoroughly _manly_ appendages were leading her thoughts down all sorts of naughty paths.

“Looked your fill then?”

Rose startled out of her trance, her cheeks burning as she met John’s gaze, the devastating smirk on his face only adding to her embarrassment. She’d _definitely_ gotten caught staring, but he didn’t seem to mind.

“Well, no, in fact,” Rose teased, catching her tongue in her teeth as she grinned at him. “Since you asked.” She crossed her arms over her chest and let her gaze fall once again on his arms, and subsequently on his still-working, grease-smudged hands. “Gotta love a man who knows how to use his… _spanner_.”

His grip on the spanner slipped slightly as the words passed her lips, and her grin widened as the tips of his ears turned pink at her words. He was usually so cool and collected and it was immensely satisfying that her flirting could fluster him so much, even when she was equally flustered just by the sight of his bloody _forearms_.

Rose shook her head to clear those traitorous thoughts. “I was stopping by to see if you were hungry since we seemed to have worked through lunch. But if you’d rather stay here and work your _spanner_ all alone…”

His blue eyes went wide as they snapped to hers, his mouth open. He would have looked completely affronted if the corners of his mouth hadn’t been quirking up into a smile at the same time. “Well played, Rose. I am, in fact. Did you have something in mind?”

Rose made a conscious decision _not_ to answer the question honestly. “I’ve got some sandwich things in the kitchen. Care to join me?”

“Might as well, thanks.” He gave the spanner one final twist before pulling his hands out of the engine. “Give me a mo’ to wash up and I’ll meet you in there.”

“All right,” Rose said, flashing him one more wide grin before she turned and went back to the house, immediately moving to the kitchen and gathering the supplies for their late lunch. She replayed their interaction in her head, certain she’d looked like an utter fool as the smile had never left her face, and she hummed out a nonsensical tune. She had always enjoyed a good flirt, even if there wasn’t much intention behind it, but the underlying _heat_ to her interactions with John was something entirely new to her and could easily become quite addictive.

 _Shame it can’t really go anywhere,_ Rose thought, her mood taking a downturn with the thoughts and she heaved a sigh and continued gathering the various meats, cheeses, spreads, and crisps.

“Don’t stop humming on my account.”

Rose raised her eyes to the mud room doorway. John was leaning casually against the wooden frame, back in his jumper and leather jacket with his arms crossed over his chest, that adorable soft smile on his face as he watched her. Rose blushed once again when she realized he’d seen her looking like a smitten little schoolgirl, but she held his gaze. She gestured to the platter in front of her. “Nah. Can’t exactly eat and hum at the same time, can I?”

“Wouldn’t recommend it, no,” he teased. He pushed off the doorway and came over to the island, plucking two slices of bread from the bag and squirting some mustard onto them. 

Rose mirrored his actions, fixing her own sandwich and pouring a helping of crisps onto her plate before grabbing two bottles of water from the refrigerator and sitting down at the little oak table. John took his own place opposite her and they were silent for a few minutes as they enjoyed the first few bites of their late lunch.

“How’s the car looking?” Rose asked after she’d taken the edge off her hunger.

John swallowed and took a long gulp of water before answering. “Not great, I have to say. The engine won’t even turn over. I might have to rebuild it from the inside out. It’s going to take some time.”

“And some money, I expect,” Rose added quietly, glancing down at her half-finished plate.

“Don’t worry about that part,” John replied. “It won’t be as much as you think. Donna’s right, my suppliers should have all the parts we need and with me providing the labor it will cost a fraction of what a normal restoration would.”

“So was Donna right then? Is this your dream restoration?”

The corners of his mouth twitched. “Sort of, yeah. I’ve always loved classic cars. My granddad, up north, was a collector, and I used to work on keeping those running smoothly when I was a kid.” His gaze grew distant. “Taught me a lot, he did. Made me appreciate these fantastic machines, all those parts having to work together just right to make it run the way we want it too. But if one little thing goes, just one engine belt or one bad wire, the entire car goes mad.” He let out a little sigh. “Even the large, more important parts still rely on the little bits and bobs to function. Sort of like life, I suppose.” 

He must have noticed Rose staring at him as he trailed off, giving her a sheepish grin as he turned his attention back to his lunch. She had been completely entranced by the velvety-smooth tones of his voice as he explained his fascination for the inner workings of these vehicles, the passion in his eyes and speech completely mesmerizing.

“You don’t need to stop talking on my account,” she echoed his earlier statement.

“Nah, don’t want to bore you to death.”

“It’s not boring me at all. It’s nice to listen to you talk about it. What made you decide to join the military then?”

The muscles around John’s eyes tensed slightly and suddenly, he was just as guarded as he had been when she first met him. His gaze dropped to his plate and he was suddenly much more interested in his crisps than in conversation. “Donna gave you my life story, then?”

Before Rose could reply, the tinkling ring of a mobile phone broke the awkwardness of the conversation. John reached into his pocket and pulled out his, letting out a sigh and trying to fight the fond smile that was threatening to stretch across his face. “Speaking of the devil herself…” He held up his screen to Rose, showing her the photo of Donna and a younger Susan grinning into the camera, before turning the phone back to himself and swiping the call open. “Yes, Donna?”

Rose sat back in her chair and admired the play of emotions on his face as he listened to his sister talk. He rolled his eyes good-naturedly, never really seeming fully annoyed. “I’m still at the manor, lost track of time.” He listened again for a few moments before sighing. “Technically I didn’t give you a time, I just said I’d be home later... well, we’re having lunch now…”

Rose heard Donna’s voice garble out something unintelligible, but _loud_ , John wincing before pulling the phone away from his ear and holding it out to her. “She wants to talk to you.”

Rose plucked the device from his hand and gave him what she hoped was a winning smile before holding it up to her ear. “Hi, Donna!”

“Rose!” she replied brightly. “I’m so glad to catch you! Are you two having a nice day?”

“Suppose so. If you count scrubbing the manor from top to bottom ‘nice.’”

“Sounds like you could use some fun! Do you want to come ice skating with Susan and me tonight? I tried to convince Big Ears over there but he claimed to have _things_ to do.”

Rose felt all the blood drain from her face. John stared at her, his brow furrowed in concern. “Sk-skating? Ice skating? With skates? And… ice?”

Donna chuckled. “That’s the idea usually. What, do you not know how to skate?”

“Well… no,” Rose admitted, “I never really could. Mum never had the money to take me.”

“Oh, it’s easy! I promise you’ll _love_ it!” Donna gushed. “Plus they have instructors who can help the beginners so you’ll be fine! Dress warm and meet us at the outdoor rink around seven! I’ll text you the address!”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive! Now, would you be so kind as to hand me back to my brother? I’ll see you tonight!”

“All right, see you then.” Rose handed the phone back to John and moved her attention back to her plate as they rang off, suddenly not as hungry as she had been before. 

“Donna roped you into ice skating tonight, did she?”

“Yeah,” Rose admitted, pushing her plate away. “Let’s hope the instructors know what to do with a hopeless case.”

“You’ll be fine. If you can walk you can skate.”

Rose wrinkled her nose. “Highly doubt that. Donna said you’re busy tonight?”

“Yeah, got some things to do. In fact…” he glanced down at his watch and a fleeting look of what Rose almost thought was disappointment flashed across his face as he stood up, “I should be getting to them. Alright if I come by tomorrow? There’s still plenty I can do before the parts I need to order come in.”

“Fine by me,” she replied, standing up as well. “Here, I’ll walk you to the door.”

“No need,” he said, giving her a soft smile that made her heart stutter in her chest. “Thanks for lunch. See you tomorrow then.”

“Yeah, tomorrow.” She hoped her voice didn’t sound too breathy (as she suspected it did) as she watched him tuck his hands in his pockets, turn, and head out towards the front door.

Rose let out a sigh, admiring the lovely view as he walked away.

******

It took barely any time at all to clean up from lunch, and Rose spent the rest of her time attempting to distract herself from the sense of impending doom that her little outing with Donna and Susan was causing. She decided that a hot shower would help, both for relaxation and to wash herself up from her cleaning spree. She scrubbed her sweaty hair and worked out the mess of tangles that had accumulated throughout the day. Once they were all combed out smooth, she blew the blonde tresses dry and dressed in fleece-lined leggings, a long, thick jumper and her faux-shearling boots. She applied her usual makeup, and managed to choke down a banana and protein bar to top off her late lunch before tucking her wallet and phone in her coat pocket and meeting yet another rideshare to take her into town.

It barely took any time at all to reach the rink, and she had actually arrived a few minutes early. She thanked her driver profusely as she exited the vehicle and made her way to the little trailer to get fitted for her skates while she waited for Donna and Susan to meet her.

“Miss Rose!”

She turned at the sound of her name and saw Susan barreling towards her, her two auburn braids bouncing against her puffy jacket and a wide grin on her face. Rose’s face broke into a happy smile as she held out her arms and the little girl leapt easily into her embrace.

“Hello there, Susan!” she said, wrapping her in a hug. “It’s lovely to see you! Are you looking forward to our skate?”

“Yes!” Susan beamed. “Mummy said that you can’t skate, though. Uncle John taught me, you know. He’s a _very_ good skater. I bet he would teach you too.”

“That’s very nice, Susan, but I don’t think your Uncle John can make it tonight…” Rose trailed off as Donna came into view, waving enthusiastically and carrying a pair of pristine skates over each shoulder. Rose raised a hand to wave back when a tall, unexpected figure clad in a familiar leather jacket rounded the corner just behind Donna, his own skates slung casually over his arm.

Rose felt her grin widen. It seemed John wasn’t too busy to join them after all.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things heat up between these two crazy kids

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so sorry for the delay! But to make up for it, here are approximately 5700 words of basically pure foreplay. Enjoy!
> 
> MEGA thanks to the incomparable TenRoseForeverandEver, Rose_Nebula, HiddenTreasures, and SelenaTerna for helping me get through this chapter (and life in general) in one piece!

Rose grinned at Donna as she approached, wrapping her in a careful hug, though her eyes never strayed from John. He was standing a few steps behind his sister, attempting to look nonchalant with his hands tucked in the pockets of his leather jacket as he looked everywhere except at her.

She pulled away from Donna and walked over to him. His gaze finally settled on her as she drew closer, and his forced-casual expression heavily suggested that he knew he’d been caught. She grinned widely, with her tongue caught between her teeth. “Thought you were busy tonight?”

“Finished early.” He shrugged. “And Susan practically begged me to come.”

“I did _not_ ,” Susan protested with her hands on her hips. “You should tell the truth, Uncle John.”

“Susan, why don’t we go over to the bench so I can put your skates on?” Donna steered her daughter away with a little wink to Rose.

“But he wasn’t even busy!” Susan continued as they moved a few feet away. “He spent the whole time changing his jumper!”

Rose chuckled as two patches of pink appeared high on John’s cheeks, the exact same shade as his ears. “Time well spent. ‘S a nice jumper.”

And it really was. The emerald green complimented the slight golden hue of his skin that, despite living in England, he managed to maintain. The sun had long since set, the bright stadium lamps of the outdoor rink supplying plenty of light for the evening activities, and even in the mass of artificial light he was still devastatingly attractive. 

“Thanks,” he muttered, tucking his hands in his pockets. “Guess you don’t own your own skates?”

“You guessed right.”

He sighed heavily, apparently quite put out, before striding forwards a couple of steps. “Come on, then. I’ll help you get fitted.”

He absently held out a hand. Rose hesitated, wanting nothing more than to reach out and grab it, but she waited a few beats in case he pulled away, realizing it was just a reflex because he was used to guiding Susan in the same way.

When she didn’t respond, he glanced back. “What are you waiting for, a written invitation?”

Rose grinned and grabbed on, twining their fingers together as he tugged her towards the skate rental. They waited in line for a few moments, John never relinquishing the grip on her hand as he ran her through the basics of how the skate should fit. She zoned out a bit, letting the low, rumbling timbre of his voice serve as a soothing background hum as she watched him speak. _Blimey_ , the man was more attractive than should ever be allowed. It was strange; Rose wasn’t typically attracted to John’s particular aesthetic. Her “type” was usually _prettier_ , for lack of a better word. And _younger_. But here was this thoroughly masculine, chiseled, _intensely_ handsome older man. He put off an air of grumpy indifference, but all she had to do was gaze into his blue eyes and she _knew_ , without a doubt, that there was a depth within this man that could be _endless_ , and a huge part of her wanted to just dive in and explore as far as he would let her.

“Are you listening to a word I said?”

Rose startled a bit, meeting his gaze, his expression stern but his eyes dancing with amusement. Her heart stuttered in her chest, and she felt her cheeks heat up at being caught staring once again. “No, sorry, you lost me when you started writing a sonnet to titanium blades.”

John huffed. “Wasn’t writing a _sonnet_.”

Rose grinned as they reached the front of the line. Inside the trailer was a young man, with dark hair and eyes, who gave them a wide smile as they approached. “Evening, Dr. Smith. Nice to see you outside the garage on a weekend!”

“‘Lo, Adam,” John grumbled. “Rose Tyler, Adam Mitchell. Rose is visiting from London for a bit, Donna’s sort of taken her under her wing.”

“Oh, Mr. Tyler’s niece!” Adam turned his attention to Rose and held out a hand through the little window. “Good to meet you!”

“Yeah, you too!” She reached over with her free hand and clasped it. “I didn’t realize you knew my uncle!”

“Everyone knew Mr. Tyler!” Adam said. “If it wasn’t for his scholarship program, I wouldn’t be at uni right now!”

“You just helping out for the holidays, then?” John asked.

“Yeah, my mum and dad knew the weekends would be busy after the tree lighting so I’m lending an extra hand while I’m on break. Speaking of…” he turned his attention to Rose once again, the same wide grin plastered on his face, “I take it you’re here to rent some skates?”

“Yeah, I’m a seven and a half usually.”

“Got just the thing.” Adam winked at her before disappearing into the trailer. Rose turned to John to ask if giving him her shoe size had been the correct response, but his expression made her voice die in her throat. His frown had deepened, and the humor she’d seen reflected in his eyes was completely gone as he fixed Adam’s back with a deep glare.

“What’s wrong?” Rose asked, squeezing his hand to get his attention.

His head snapped back to Rose’s as his eyes softened. “Nothing, really. Just… never much liked the kid. Always been a bit weasely, obnoxious. Obsessed with his own cleverness. Plus he’s a bit pretty.”

“Really? Hadn’t noticed.”

John’s frown shifted just a bit into a small smile, and Rose was about to respond when Adam returned with a pair of pristine white skates. “Here you are, Rose. You know, I’m kind of a favorite instructor around here. I could give you a few lessons if you need them… couple turns around the rink and you’ll practically be an expert!”

“We’re fine, thanks,” John replied in a clipped tone, placing a hand, whisper-light, on the small of Rose’s back as he slapped a five-pound note on the counter and picked up the skates. 

“Well, I could help you get those fitted properly!”

John fixed Adam in a _look_ that made the younger man’s eyes go wide. “Or, er… I’m sure Dr. Smith can take care of that for you. I’ve got a line here, after all. Have fun, you two!”

John let out a farewell that could only be described as a _grunt_ as the slight pressure on Rose’s back increased and he steered her towards the nearby benches. She made a show of sniffing the air loudly, plastering an oblivious expression on her face.

“What is it?”

Rose turned to John and grinned. “Oh, nothing really. Just… blimey, you can smell the testosterone?” 

John huffed again. “Hilarious, you are.” He found an empty bench after passing by a few others that were otherwise occupied and gestured for her to sit before placing his own skates on the ground and crouching down in front of her. “Now, like I was saying when you weren’t listening, you have to make sure that the skate is snug around your ankle and that your toes just lightly brush the end of the boot. You don’t want your toes to slide sideways.”

“Snug around my ankle, got it,” she said as he tugged the shearling boot gently off her foot. “No sliding.”

“Nice socks,” he commented, shaking his head at the glittery Father Christmases that were printed all over her foot as he pressed it into the skate and began lacing the boot, the expert motion of his graceful fingers mesmerizing her. “And your toes should be able to wiggle slightly up and down.”

“Yeah,” Rose breathed out. “Wiggle. Sure.”

John chuckled as he finished the laces off with a bow. Rose’s breath caught as he began running his fingers over the boot, squeezing around her ankle and testing the fit before running across the curve of her foot and testing at her toes, leaving pleasant sparks and tingles wherever he had touched, even through the white leather.

“Now wiggle.”

Rose startled a bit, blinking dumbly at him. “What?”

“Wiggle your toes. I have to make sure they fit.”

“Oh, okay.” She did as he said, wiggling her toes, apparently to his satisfaction. He left her toes with a little squeeze before moving on to the next foot, giving it the same treatment as the first and leaving her just a bit breathless by the time he was finally pleased with the fit.

“Now, don’t go trying to stand on your own or anything,” he admonished as he stood and settled next to her, picking up his own skates. “I’ll help you get your balance when I’m finished.”

“So, you’re an expert in ice skating _and_ classic cars?”

“Hard to live here, even part time, and not become an expert in all things winter.” He laced his own skates up with a quick, practiced ease before pushing off the bench and offering her both of his hands. “Might be hard to balance on the blades at first. Don’t be afraid to hold onto me if you feel like you’re going to fall.”

“Don’t think I’ll have much of a choice,” Rose muttered as she popped her gloved hands into his bare ones and felt him tug her to her feet. The sensation of balancing on thin metal blades was completely foreign to her even with her gymnastics training, and instead of finding her center and steadying herself she pitched forward, directly into John’s arms.

“Woah!” He caught her instantly and flashed that daft, happy grin that, had she been upright, would have made her swoon. “Suppose _standing_ was too much to ask for, eh? Shall we go rent you a helmet and knee pads as well?”

“Shut up,” she murmured, her cheeks burning, not only because she had tumbled, but because him supporting her felt so bloody _good_. She caught a whiff of what had to be the most intoxicating male scent she’d ever experienced and she wasn’t sure she’d be able to remain upright the next time she tried.

He chuckled a bit. “All right, looks like you’re going to need a little extra help.” He moved his hands from around her waist to gently grip her shoulders. “When I push you upright, grab my arms, alright?”

Rose nodded, and felt a swoop in her stomach as he practically lifted her off him and she gripped onto his now-outstretched arms for balance. Her heart was pounding, both from his proximity and from her nerves, not liking the wobbly feeling that the skates were giving her.

_Come on, Rose_ , she urged herself. _Jericho Street Junior School under-7s Gymnastics Tournament, you got the bronze! You can do this!_

Recalling the odd sensation of the balance beam and pulling on her old training memories, Rose engaged her core muscles and found her center of gravity, using John’s solid form to keep her upright. She felt her legs grow more steady and she slowly let her hands drop, holding them out to her side to help keep her upright.

“There you are,” John murmured. Rose raised her eyes and met his, crinkled proudly. “Now, try and walk around a bit, head towards the entrance, and get used to the feel of the blades. I won’t let go of your hand, I promise.”

“You better not.”

John’s hands moved from her shoulders, one slipping down her arm and threading his fingers between hers as she began wobbling towards the rink entrance. It took a couple of steps, but she found her bearings relatively quickly and felt more steady as she approached the entrance. John encouraged her to place her hands on the low wall before stepping onto the ice and gliding a few feet out.

“Keep a hold of the wall and step onto the ice,” he instructed. “Careful now, it’s slippery.”

Rose shot him a look that she hoped came off as at least slightly threatening. She was unsuccessful, judging by his grin. She stepped gingerly onto the ice while gripping the wall. She slid a little, but at least kept upright. When she was completely steady, she took her eyes off her skates and glanced up at John, beaming.

“I did it!”

“Give the girl a medal!” he exclaimed as he skated closer. He swooped in behind her, placing his hands on her waist, making her yelp in surprise. “Ready to take a few turns around the rink?”

His lips were close to her ear so she could hear him over the din of the crowd. The vibrations of his deep baritone sent shivers down her spine, pooling heat low in her belly. At the press of his long, lean frame against her back, tingles spread to her fingers and toes as the familiar, dull ache of _want_ settled deep within her.

Her breath caught. _Want_. That was it. She _wanted_ him, as stupid and ill-advised as the emotion was. 

_Pull yourself together, Rose,_ she chastised herself, shaking her head as though she could physically dislodge her reaction from her body. _You’re going to fall flat on your face because you can’t control your bloody hormones._

She drew in a deep breath before turning to face him. “You think I’m ready for that?” she asked, willing her voice not to shake even as it came out far huskier than she intended it to.

“I think you’re ready for anything. Now, just push off with one foot, then the next. Push, push, glide.”

“Don’t let go,” Rose told him as she took her hands off the wall and gingerly began to move across the ice.

“Couldn’t if I tried,” he murmured. He helped guide her over the ice, his grip on her waist light but secure, the occasional word of praise given as she gained more balance and speed.“Fantastic!” Rose turned just a bit to find his cheeks dimpled in a wide, proud smile. “You ready to go on your own?”

Rose tucked her tongue between her teeth and flashed him a bright smile. “Think I still need a little help. You know… just to be sure.”

John let out a low chuckle. “Happy to be of assistance,” he replied, his hands tightening just a whisper on her waist as they continued to skate the perimeter of the rink.

“Susan said you were an excellent teacher,” Rose said. “Glad to hear it’s not just nepotism. Can you do any tricks?”

“Well, I _could_ , but I wouldn’t want to boast,” he replied. “Now, I think it’s about time to test my teaching skills. C’mon, I think you’re ready for a solo run.”

“Let’s do it!”

John gave her a little push, the warmth of his hands on her waist immediately gone as she glided a few feet ahead of him. After a few moments of wobbling, Rose finally caught her balance and stood steadily on her skates before pushing forwards, first with small, careful movements, then gradually widening her stance. Suddenly, like magic, she was coasting smoothly over the ice.

“I’ve got it!” she called, turning her neck and beaming back at John. 

“Well done, Miss Rose!” Susan called as she swept by with more grace in her little form than Rose could ever hope to have on the ice. Donna followed close behind her and gave Rose a mittened thumbs up before they sailed ahead. 

Rose was so intent on watching Susan do a sweet little spin on the ice that she didn’t notice the tiny, green figure that decided right then was the perfect moment to pirouette right into Rose’s path.

She yelped, just inches from the little girl and instinctively swerved towards the low wall of the rink. The quick change in direction threw off her center of gravity, and the blades were suddenly working independently of her movements. Panic began to set in as her legs flew out from under her and before she knew it, she was falling. She felt the sting of the cold, hard ice even through her gloves even as the momentum carried her sideways into the wall.

Several more beats and a sharp ache in her ankle made itself known as well.

“Rose!”

John slid to a stop and knelt down in front of her, gently cupping her cheeks in his hands as his frantic blue eyes searched hers. “Are you alright? Did you hit your head?”

“Don’t think so.” She groaned as she tried to shift more fully into a sitting position. “My ankle, though…”

John’s eyes flashed, lips drawn into a tight straight line as his thumbs absently grazed her cheekbones. “Can you pull yourself up without putting weight on it? I’ll lift.”

“I dunno,” Rose admitted through gritted teeth. “Where’s the little girl? Is she okay? She didn’t fall or anything?”

“She’s just fine, don’t worry. Already halfway across the rink without a care in the world.”

“Rose!” Donna’s voice called out. “What happened? Did you fall?”

John rolled his eyes as Donna and Susan skated up to them. Donna crouched down next to her, while Susan remained on her feet, watching the adults with her hands covering her mouth. “No, Donna, she just decided the middle of an ice rink was the perfect place to have a little rest. Of course she fell. What sort of question is that?”

“Are you gonna be okay, Miss Rose?” Susan asked.

“I’ll be just fine, sweetheart,” Rose reassured her. “Just a little achey. A few paracetamol and I’ll be good as new!”

“Come on, we should get you off the ice so I can take a look at that ankle. Donna, can you help?”

Donna nodded, and Rose breathed out a sigh of relief. Her ankle was throbbing in the skate that was suddenly feeling far too tight on her foot, most likely sprained and swelling up beneath the soft leather. She knew she needed to get it elevated and iced as soon as possible, and it was best to do that without throngs of people zooming by on ice skates. John encouraged her to reach up and grab the low wall before he looped his arm under hers on her right while Donna did the same on her left

“Ready? One… two… _three_...”

Rose hauled herself up, trying hard not to put any pressure on the injured foot. It was much easier with both John and Donna helping support her weight. They managed to help guide her off the ice with minimal issues, and it was only a few moments before she was perched on a long bench, her foot propped up in John’s lap while Donna and Susan went to bring everyone their shoes and a cold pack. John carefully untied the offending skate and tugged, pulling it and her sock off. Even with the achingly gentle manipulation, Rose still felt a sharp pain run through her ankle at his ministrations and she drew in a sharp breath once her foot came free.

“Sorry,” he murmured, resting his hand on the skin, his cool touch soothing the ache just a bit. “It may hurt as I examine it, but I want to make sure it isn’t broken.”

“Okay.” Rose tried to hold back her whimpers as he tested the motion of her ankle, turning it from side to side and examining the swelling. He had her wiggle her toes, flex and extend her foot as far as it could go, and he was apparently satisfied with whatever answer he had by the time Donna and Susan returned. Donna had both John’s and Rose’s boots in her arms while Susan handed her uncle a bright blue gel pack. Donna immediately crouched down to take care of the other rental skate and slip Rose’s other boot onto her foot while John cracked the internal bag on the pack and let it grow cold in his hand.

“Looks like it’s just a sprain,” he said, forming the long pack around her ankle.

“So, what, you’re an orthopedist that masquerades as a small-town mechanic?”

He smirked at her. “Combat medical training. Everyone in the squadron knew basic first aid and CPR. Helped out on more than a few occasions. Now, we should really get you home.”

“All right, Susan, time to go get our shoes from the cubby,” Donna said. She held out a hand to the little girl, who looked so disappointed at having their fun evening cut short that it tugged painfully at Rose’s heart.

“Oh, no, Donna, don’t feel like you have to leave on my account!” Rose insisted. “You and Susan should stay and finish your skate. No reason my clumsiness should spoil your fun. Unless you all came together…?”

“Nah, I made John take his own car in case you two… er…” Donna coughed, and Rose didn’t miss the glare that John shot her, “... in case he wanted to leave earlier than we did. You know, sensible planning. But I have my car, don’t worry about that.”

John had already laced up his boots and was trying to fit Rose’s Santa sock on over the ice pack before turning towards Donna. “Could you take my skates home with you, then? I’d like to keep my hands free.”

“Free for what?” Rose asked as he gingerly set her ankle down on the bench. He placed her unused boot in her hands before sliding one arm under her knees, one around her back, and lifting her easily off the bench.

Rose squealed. “This is entirely unnecessary you know. I still have one good leg.”

“It’ll be quicker this way,” he insisted. “Thanks for your help, Donna. And you, Susan. You make a brilliant assistant.”

“Thanks, Uncle John,” Susan said, wrapping her arms around his leg in a brief hug. “I hope you feel better, Miss Rose. Uncle John takes the _best_ care of us when we’re sick. You’ll take good care of her too, won’t you?”

“Course I will, little bean,” he said, that soft look in his eyes back as he awkwardly patted Susan’s sparkly knit hat. “Now, go have fun with your mum. I’ll probably be back after you’re in bed.”

“Text me later and let me know how you’re feeling, Rose,” Donna said, giving Rose an awkward, one-armed hug. “I’m sorry you got hurt on your first skate! Don’t worry, the next one will be better!”

Rose chuckled at the thought of another skate. “We’ll see about that.”

******

John helped her into the passenger side of his car, an old blue sedan that, despite its obvious age, looked pristine and incredibly well-cared for. He shut the door behind her and walked around to the boot, rummaging around for a moment while she winced in her seat. Her ankle had been a bit soothed by the ice, but sitting upright and having her leg dangling down was causing an uncomfortable throbbing pain to pulse through it. Before she could ask if there was any way she could adjust to be more comfortable, John had slid into the driver’s seat and turned to her, a pile of blankets in his hand and an expectant look on his face.

“What?” Rose asked him.

“What do you mean, ‘what’? That ankle needs to stay elevated. Do you have a better plan to do that?”

“I don’t even know _your_ plan!”

John rolled his eyes and suddenly, without a single word of warning, he had _draped_ himself over her and was fumbling low on the side of her seat.

“What in the-“ Rose sputtered out, her heart suddenly picking up in tempo and her face heating up despite the vehicle’s chill. He felt absolutely _brilliant_ against her, and she momentarily forgot the pain in her ankle as her fingers positively itched to card through his closely-shorn dark hair.

“Ha!” John’s triumphant exclamation pulled her out of her trance, and suddenly her seat was sliding back several inches and her back was lowering down into a comfortable reclined position. He raised himself just a bit and searched her eyes, the proximity of his face drawing the breath from her lungs. “This alright?”

“Yeah,” she breathed out, barely recognizing her own voice. She cleared her throat a bit and hoped that it would, in turn, clear her head. “Yeah, it’s fine. What for?”

To Rose’s disappointment, John pulled away, leaving her feeling oddly bereft. He lifted her injured foot gently, pulling a large box from somewhere underneath the seat, setting the pile of blankets on top and settling her ankle into the soft fabric.

“There we are,” he said, giving her a gentle pat before pulling back to his side of the car. “Nice and comfy for the ride back.”

She watched as he started the car, the dashboard coming to life in the dim evening light. “So, Doctor… how bad is it?”

He turned to her with a smirk before shifting into gear and exiting the car park. “I’ve seen worse. You’ll be fine until we get you home. Dab hand with a bandage, me.”

“You think you’re _so_ impressive.”

John gaped at her, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “I _am_ so impressive!”

“You wish!” Rose teased. He scoffed, keeping his attention trained on the road ahead. “Tell you what, though, I bet you didn’t plan on spending your Saturday night playing medic.”

She could just make out his shrug in the light of the streetlamps. “Wouldn’t be my first.”

“What, seriously?”

“Like I said,” his gaze shifted over to her briefly, the darkening of his eyes having nothing to do with the lighting. “I’ve seen worse.”

“Blimey. You must be a bundle of laughs at parties.”

John turned to her with a small smile on his face, before turning his attention back to the drive. He was quiet, presumably concentrating on the road but Rose could sense a stiff set in his shoulders and tension in his face that told her _something_ was off and, suddenly, she felt like complete rubbish for dismissing the horror he must have experienced so easily. Here he was, helping her while he was injured and opening up to her ever so slightly, and the first response she came up with was sarcasm.

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled, reaching over to the gearshift to cover her hand with her own. “That sounded… I didn’t mean to…”

“Nothing to be sorry about.” To her relief, he didn’t pull his hand away. Instead, he shifted his palm and threaded his fingers through hers, squeezing. “Don’t worry about it.”

Emboldened by his reaction, she barreled on before she could lose her nerve. “I know we haven’t known each other very long, but you know, you can always talk to me… if you want.”

John’s gaze slid over to her, his thumb moving slowly across her hand in something like a _caress_ as he smiled, close lipped and small, but so _tender_ that her stomach swooped. That brief look, full of the softness she so rarely saw break through his cool exterior, made her heart stutter in his chest.

“Thank you.”

******

Rose vehemently protested John carrying her into the manor, instead allowing his arm to wrap around her waist and hers over his shoulder for support while she limped inside. They both shed their coats to hang on the elaborate entryway coat rack before John turned to Rose.

“Do you want to stay down here tonight, or should we try to get you to bed?”

Rose wrinkled her nose. “I don’t know if I’m up for trying the stairs. The sofa is pretty comfortable. I can just stay there.”

John nodded. “Where do you keep your spare linens?

“There’s a closet right outside of the master suite.”

He helped Rose hobble into the sitting room, bearing a little bit of her weight as she carefully lowered herself onto the sofa and shifted around into a reclined position, making sure she was comfortable before leaving the room and heading up the stairs. Rose listened to the muffled sound of his boots on the hardwood floors for several minutes before they grew increasingly louder as he came to the landing above the stairs.

“Where do you keep your…” he cleared throat before continuing, “...night… things?”

Rose jerked her head towards the entryway. “My _what_?”

“Your pajamas! Do you want to sleep in _that_ all night?”

Rose grinned to herself. “I don’t sleep in anything, actually.”

A dull _thud_ sounded through the house, presumably John dropping whatever he had been holding, and Rose had to laugh. “I’m joking. Master suite, bottom drawer of the dresser.”

She could have sworn she heard a shaky, whispered “ _Blimey,_ ” before his footsteps retreated back to the master suite.

Rose’s grin widened. It was nice to have him around.

A few moments later, he entered the sitting room with a stack of blankets and pillows in hand, one of the overly long t-shirts she favored for sleeping neatly folded on top. He set the pile on top of the armchair and handed the shirt to Rose. “I’ll get my first aid kit from the car, that will give you a few minutes to change.”

“Thanks,” she said, giving him a grateful smile.

It took a bit of careful maneuvering, but Rose was able to pull the long shirt over her head and shimmy out of her bra and leggings with minimal discomfort. When John returned a few minutes later carrying a little red plastic box, she was perched perfectly decently on the sofa with her clothes folded in a neat little pile on the floor. He sat down at the opposite end, lifting her foot gingerly and placing it in his lap before peeling the Father Christmas sock off her foot and removing the now-warm ice pack.

“How does it look?” Rose asked as he pulled an ace bandage from the bag and began winding it around her ankle.

“Still swollen. You’ll probably have some bruising, and you’ll need to stay off it for a few days.”

“A few _days_?”

“You’d rather injure yourself further and be out for a week or more?”

Rose was certain she was pouting. “No. But there’s so much to _do_ around here. I wanted to get a few more rooms clean before Jack comes back on Monday.”

John gave her toes a little squeeze. “Don’t you worry about that.” He stood from the sofa and grabbed a few pillows in each hand from the stack on the armchair, sliding three of them underneath her injured foot and putting two behind her head.

“Blimey,” she muttered. “If this is the type of treatment I get, I’ll make sure to fall down more often!”

John chuckled. “Best not. I don’t fancy a stress induced heart attack before I’m even forty.”

“It’s so nice to know you worry about me,” she teased.

John fixed her in that knowing, clear gaze that made her whole body flush from head to toe. How one look could say so much without him uttering a single word was completely baffling to her.

“Blanket?”

Rose blinked at him. “What?”

“Do you want a blanket? It will probably get cold overnight.”

“Oh! Right. Thanks.”

He spread a soft, fuzzy throw over her and Rose gave him a grateful smile in return. “We’re almost there. Last thing the doctor recommends is a few paracetamol to keep you comfortable overnight. Where do you keep it?”

“There’s a pack in the kitchen, the cabinet above the sink.”

John turned back to go to the kitchen while Rose adjusted herself on the sofa, trying to get comfortable. The ache in her ankle would likely dissipate temporarily with the medicine, but she wasn’t used to sleeping on her back and would likely be in for another rough night. She was trying to position the pillows behind her head so she could sit up until John left, when he returned to the sitting room with the packet of medicine in one hand and a glass of water in the other. He pressed out two of the pills and handed them to her.

“Bottoms up,” he said with a grin, giving her the water after she had popped the pills in her mouth. Now that his hands were empty, Rose noticed that he had a hardcover book tucked under his arm.

“What do you have there?”

“Just some evening entertainment.” He held the book out to her, the gold script across the cover reading _Charles Dickens, Five Novels_ with an old Victorian city scene printed underneath. “No telly down here, figured you might be bored.”

Rose’s heart swelled with affection. This man had barely known her for three days, and the only person who had ever taken better care of her was her mum. She shot him another grin, hoping that it would keep the tears prickling in her eyes at bay. “You gonna do a dramatic reading?”

“Not sure how dramatic it can be, but I’ll certainly try to entertain.” He moved over to the now-empty armchair and settled into it, kicking his feet up on the ottoman and cracking open the leather-bound volume. “ _Among other public buildings in a certain town, which for many reasons it will be prudent to refrain from mentioning, and to which I will assign no fictitious name, there is one ancient common to most towns, great or small: to wit, a workhouse…”_

Rose settled back against the pillows, which suddenly were far more comfortable than they had been only a few moments ago. _God,_ John had an amazing voice. It was deep, rich, and velvety smooth, and she was soon lost in the rhythm of his words. Just having another person in the same room as her was soothing, and knowing that it was _John_ made her feel particularly safe and secure.

She lost track of how long he had spent reading to her, but eventually the pain in her ankle had subsided enough that she was finally able to fully relax. Her eyelids were drooping within minutes, and she surrendered fully to sleep not long after.


End file.
